Characteristics of the Radiation Field Waveforms Produced by Lightning Return Strokes

Abstract

Some features of the radiation field waveforms produced by cloud-to-ground lightning return strokes were investigated. A transient analyzer was used together with electric and magnetic field measuring devices with frequency bandwidths of 200 Hz to 1.6 MHz and 270 Hz to 2.3 MHz, respectively. The initial peak of the first lightning return stroke fields is followed by several large subsidiary peaks, whose amplitudes are a fraction of that of the initial peak and decrease with time. The subsidiary peaks of the first lightning return stroke fields may be caused by the effect of branches of leader channels. The mean amplitude ratios of the subsidiary peaks to the first return stroke field peak were widely distributed over the ranges of 0.25–0.8, and the mean time interval between the subsidiary peaks ranged from 5 to 15 µs. Detailed statistical analysis showed that the time interval between the subsidiary peaks and the ratio of the subsidiary peaks to the first lightning return stroke field peak in the present work are less than those obtained in subtropical and tropical regions. The parameters characterizing the wave tail of lightning return stroke fields are closely related to the propagation velocity and length of return stroke throughout the entire leader channel, and the subsidiary large pulses in the wave tail of return stroke fields seem to be associated with the resonance in major branches of lightning return stroke channels.